E-learning: Teaching with Technology This session explored the link between pedagogy and technology in EFL/ESL teaching. The presenters demonstrated the actual uses of various online sources in an EFL/ESL course and the pedagogical reasons for their use. What is ‘E-learning’? We will use this term to refer to a planned teaching (and learning) experience that uses the Internet to engage students in activities and complete learning tasks. Learning can be supported by technology in various ways. For our purposes, we will focus on the Internet tools that can supplement our teaching in order to reach our students needs and enhance their learning. When we decide to use technology in our classes, we must consider the reasons why we want to use these tools. Our goal is to reach our students interesting and enhance their learning by engaging them in the learning process through these methods and tools. The use of technology is also a way to support collaborative learning. Collaboration is a method that encourages students to learn together effectively by not only supporting communication of ideas and information among learners, but also sharing information and documents among group members on a shared task. Using technology for collaborative tasks facilitates the group learning process and enhances the group dynamics by engaging students in on-line communication which can be less threatening than face-to-face communication Why do we have to use technology? Why is e-learning relevant? Take a look at this video on You Tube before answering these questions. A vision of students today by Michael Wesch (Kansas State University) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related A vision of K-12 students today by B. Nesbitt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related Now, we cannot deny that technology is all around. Our students live in a world of instant information, communication and entertaining, which demands new skills both for them and for us as teachers. If we don’t want education to be so distant from real world we must build the bridge. As regard as the Internet, our students were born in its context, that’s why we call them native learners. The necessity of the Internet in classrooms has to do with redefining 21st Century education. School cannot be a 19th Century institution any longer. Traditional education used to give information to students; our challenge nowadays is to help them develop their critical thinking, teach them to think, to critique, to organize that information, to find relevance and meaning in every lesson. The use of these skills fosters a sense of empowerment in every student that otherwise would be difficult to achieve in any EFL class. How can we enhance our own teaching experience with on-line tools?There are three e-tools that enhance collaborative learning: §Podcast §Blogs and Wikis §You Tube Podcast:Ipod + Broadcast Podcast is any audio or video file that you can find on the Internet. These files foster students listening skills. Also help them develop knowledge on some topic. We can make them read and collect articles on line on one specific issue; watch and find videos on line while having contact in FL. Do you know any source of podcast on the net? .................................................................................................................... Blogs and Wikis In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not. A wiki is also a type of website, it is a “blank page” on which you and your students can easily add, remove, or edit content. Applications in education:
Teachers may write a blog or a wiki for students in their classrooms with links to Internet sites that aid in learning and/or research tasks.
Teachers may have students use blogs for learning reflections, story writing, etc.
Viewers can leave comments that aid the writer in his/her writing development.
Do you know any wiki or blog that your students use? Any other site that you can use for teaching? .................................................................................................................... You Tube YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube was bought by Google Inc. for US$1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google. It is not the only sharing video site, but for sure is the most popular one. We may use it in a classroom for: ·Watching videos ·Having e-classes in English of Yoga, Language, Grammar, Science, Technology, etc. Many how to videos are now uploaded on You Tube ·Attending webinars(Web + seminars) for us to keep our training and education as teachers. Do you know any other video sharing web site? .................................................................................................................... In the 21st Century we must teach children to think, to analize, to create and to solve problems. They can do that trough the Internet. All the material has been adapted from the original booklet of the2009 International Congress of Professional Development for teachers of English, from the session´ E-learning: Teaching with technology ´by J. Armbust and S.A. Cesar, from Portland University, Oregon.
This session explored the link between pedagogy and technology in EFL/ESL teaching. The presenters demonstrated the actual uses of various online sources in an EFL/ESL course and the pedagogical reasons for their use.
What is ‘E-learning’?
We will use this term to refer to a planned teaching (and learning) experience that uses the Internet to engage students in activities and complete learning tasks. Learning can be supported by technology in various ways. For our purposes, we will focus on the Internet tools that can supplement our teaching in order to reach our students needs and enhance their learning.
When we decide to use technology in our classes, we must consider the reasons why we want to use these tools.
Our goal is to reach our students interesting and enhance their learning by engaging them in the learning process through these methods and tools. The use of technology is also a way to support collaborative learning. Collaboration is a method that encourages students to learn together effectively by not only supporting communication of ideas and information among learners, but also sharing information and documents among group members on a shared task. Using technology for collaborative tasks facilitates the group learning process and enhances the group dynamics by engaging students in on-line communication which can be less threatening than face-to-face communication
Why do we have to use technology? Why is e-learning relevant?
Take a look at this video on You Tube before answering these questions.
A vision of students today by Michael Wesch (Kansas State University)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
A vision of K-12 students today by B. Nesbitt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
Now, we cannot deny that technology is all around. Our students live in a world of instant information, communication and entertaining, which demands new skills both for them and for us as teachers.
If we don’t want education to be so distant from real world we must build the bridge. As regard as the Internet, our students were born in its context, that’s why we call them native learners.
The necessity of the Internet in classrooms has to do with redefining 21st Century education. School cannot be a 19th Century institution any longer.
Traditional education used to give information to students; our challenge nowadays is to help them develop their critical thinking, teach them to think, to critique, to organize that information, to find relevance and meaning in every lesson. The use of these skills fosters a sense of empowerment in every student that otherwise would be difficult to achieve in any EFL class.
How can we enhance our own teaching experience with on-line tools? There are three e-tools that enhance collaborative learning:
§ Podcast
§ Blogs and Wikis
§ You Tube
Podcast: Ipod + Broadcast
Podcast is any audio or video file that you can find on the Internet. These files foster students listening skills. Also help them develop knowledge on some topic. We can make them read and collect articles on line on one specific issue; watch and find videos on line while having contact in FL.
Do you know any source of podcast on the net?
....................................................................................................................
Blogs and Wikis
In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.
A wiki is also a type of website, it is a “blank page” on which you and your students can easily add, remove, or edit content.
Applications in education:
- Teachers may write a blog or a wiki for students in their classrooms with links to Internet sites that aid in learning and/or research tasks.
- Teachers may have students use blogs for learning reflections, story writing, etc.
- Viewers can leave comments that aid the writer in his/her writing development.
Do you know any wiki or blog that your students use? Any other site that you can use for teaching?....................................................................................................................
You Tube
YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube was bought by Google Inc. for US$1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google.
It is not the only sharing video site, but for sure is the most popular one. We may use it in a classroom for:
· Watching videos
· Having e-classes in English of Yoga, Language, Grammar, Science, Technology, etc. Many how to videos are now uploaded on You Tube
· Attending webinars (Web + seminars) for us to keep our training and education as teachers.
Do you know any other video sharing web site?
....................................................................................................................
In the 21st Century we must teach children to think, to analize, to create and to solve problems. They can do that
trough the Internet.
All the material has been adapted from the original booklet of the2009 International Congress of Professional Development for teachers of English, from the session´ E-learning: Teaching with technology ´by J. Armbust and S.A. Cesar, from Portland University, Oregon.